Meet Raya Radeva, a Platform Developer at Do IT Wise. Her story will inspire you to chase your dreams and find the right job to make each day happy and satisfying.

Raya is obsessed with everything related to Christmas, from decorations to food and presents. What are her other hobbies and interests, read below.

I am…

If I have to be completely honest, I usually don’t like to speak much about myself, but this time I will try to paint a self-portrait for the audience. My name is Raya Radeva, and I am a Platform Developer at Do IT Wise.

My professional path transitioned a couple of times until I found what I love the most and what I currently do. My husband often jokes now that if he leaves in the morning working on the computer, most likely, he will find me in the same position when he gets home in the evening. Simply because I am super excited about what I do and go in the zone when I work. But I will get back to that later.

I studied fine art in high school in my hometown Pleven, then continued with a Bachelor’s in Economics at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. After I finished, I worked in the marketing field for a couple of years, focusing on creative concepts and design. I gained precious experience there with a lot of different projects around real estate, but it was one particular assignment that led me to my absolute passion. By that time, I had worked on a big internal platform and website for the company, and I realized that spending time on testing and investigation issues was the most exciting task for me. I had some knowledge from my university years in coding, and then I decided to take another class, this time in Frontend Development which was one of my best decisions. I got really invested, and shortly after that, I joined a major information technology company getting through 5 interviews in the process.

My role in Do IT Wise

I just celebrated my 3 years in the company, and my role is Platform Developer. After I started, I participated in the ServiceNow Next Generations Academy, which covered all the platform modules with a certified trainer. It finished with course projects we had to present in front of the ServiceNow professionals, and one of it is still used in Do IT Wise as an internal tool.

Shortly after the academy,  Omar Ait Rahho, one of our Consulting Managers, texted me about a frontend assignment for one of the major clients. I was really hesitant at the beginning since it was a position that required a lot of experience. I received a lot of support from my colleagues, and the interview itself went awesome. I have been working for more than 2 years now on this project.

My development was very dynamic, switching to backend, to frontend, learning Java, Selenium, and so on. So one can say it was a very crazy 2 years, but I am proud to represent Do IT Wise in this project and show what we are capable of.

Why Do IT Wise?

Initially, I received a call from a recruitment agency to offer me a position as Javascript Developer at Do IT Wise, which was not that much related to frontend and what I did at the moment. But when I had the first interview, it became clear that it is a junior position and the company provides long and detailed onboarding and additional courses and certification training that will prepare you for the job. Then when I got the call for the second interview, I panicked and wanted to cancel the appointment. Long story short, my manager at the last place convinced me to take the opportunity and at least try. And again, it went better than I expected.

At the same time, I was doing interviews with two other companies, but the atmosphere, appreciation of the people, and the learning opportunities naturally drew me to Do IT Wise. I feel at home here.

What I love about Do IT Wise?

I love the great atmosphere in the office – Do IT Wise is all about the people. Everyone feels appreciated and valued. Secondly, you can count on your colleagues – everyone will help you when a situation occurs. So, each morning I start working with a smile and a sense of purpose. What more can you ask for? 🙂

My favorite moment in Do IT Wise

This is a hard question, but I can appoint a few right now. For example, I was really nervous when I got my first professional certificate, and the team was waiting for me to celebrate. And I cannot miss our team buildings – the thing I love the most is how when we play games in teams, there is no competition, but everyone has fun and try to help each other. Even the “enemy” team.

My biggest lesson

Allow yourself to be a rookie – ask when you don’t know. Communicating and trying to understand the areas where you still lack knowledge or experience is essential.

My hobbies

Later I discovered a new hobby – creating craft art with polymer clay. It’s very relaxing and like a form of meditation. I also love reading books, watching movies, doing physical activities, traveling, and trying new experiences.

Favorite book or movie

I cannot say I have a single one I can recommend. Still, I usually go for the same genres – historical and autobiography movies and books – again, historical or fantasy.

If I could switch my job and do anything for a day, what would it be?

There is nothing else I would rather do at the moment.

If I could only eat one meal for the rest of my life, what would it be?

Fruits are my absolute favorite. I used to make those big platters with different berries in the office, but they were quite appealing to everyone passing by and were not many left for me. 😀 So, when summer comes, I am the happiest person.

My favorite family tradition?

My family is crazy about Christmas. When we say it is the most wonderful time of the year, we are not joking. 😀 Every detail of the decoration is well thought out, the menu is set weeks before the holiday, and when it goes to presents, we take a lot of time and dedication to make something special for our loved ones. We fully emerge in the Xmas spirit.

Another cool tradition we started with my husband is to decide our next travel destination by random coins we find on the streets and their origin. For example, this is how we ended up in France last year. Next on the line are Prague, Cyprus, and Romania.

Favorite and dream destinations

To continue the previous question, Paris has a special place in my heart. I cannot describe the feeling I got there, it was like a fairytale. Asking the locals there for advice usually leads you to the fascinating hidden treasures that will make your travel unique. One of my favorites was visiting a smaller unpopular castle right next to Versailles, where Louis the Great (the Sun King) used to go to get away from the crowds and attention, and of course, Atelier Des Lumières, which is a stunning combination between art and technology.

As for places I want to visit, again on the Christmas topic – New York covered with snow, inspired by the movie “Home alone.” My other dream place is Florence, Italy, because of my love for Italian history.

Learn more about our fantastic colleagues and their personal stories in “Meet the Wise Team”. Read the fascinating story of Kalin Varbanov, Project Manager, during the week and freediver on the weekends.